Stove



J. C. HENDERSON.

Hatin'g Stove. No. 20,274. Patented May 18. I858:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. C. HENDERSON, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

STOVE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,274, dated May 18, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnri-r C. HENDERSON, of the city and county ofAlbany and State of New York, have invented a new and improved mode ofconstructing the combustion chamber of stoves, for burning bituminouscoal and other fuel that by its chemical formation tends to produce muchsmoke and soot; and I do hereby declare that the followin is a full andexact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction of a combustionchamber adapted to be applied to the common forms of fire box, or potcontaining the fuel, of stoves now in use, known as up draft stoveswhich is to better adapt them for the use of these descriptions of fuel.

With my improvement, an engine of combustion is composed of three activeparts, viz: first, the fuel box where primary combustion takes place;second, the combustion chamber above the fuel, where a secondarycombustion is made to take place, and third, the heating chamber, or achamber to receive from the combustion chamber, the results ofcombustion, and convey them to the chimney, and to serve as the heatingsurface of the stove, above the pot containing the fuel.

In the construction of this improvement it was assumed, that theprinciple applicable to the combustion of these descriptions of fuel,are: that the higher the temperature, at which combustion of thevolatile combustible is to be carried on; after it rises from theincumbent fuel, the more perfect will be the combustion; and as thesedescriptions of fuel, under a state of ignition, tend rapidly to assumea volatile form; it is necessary to raise the temperature of thechamber, above the fuel, to a higher degree than the fire pot itself,containing the solid fuel, in a state of ignition. To produce thisresult, the surfaces of the secondary combustion chamber, must not bethe surface of radiation; but so constructed as to retain caloric,prevent the free escape of the volatile combustible; and

consummate its combustion at a very high temperature.

The drawing represents a vertical center cross section of an ordinarystove with my improvement applied; A, the ash pan, B the grate, C C C Cexterior cylinder, divided at D D, and attached by a partition to thecombustion chamber G, forming the exterior heating chamber; and placedon the fuel box E.

The fuel box E when made specially for this improvement, may be madewholly of cast iron, should be made flaring, the depth the same as thosein common use; varied to adapt them to the particular purpose, andquality of fuel intended to be used.

The chamber G is a frustum of a cone, but it may be made of other forms,and answer the purpose, at its base as large as the top of the fuel boxE, and contracted at the top to a proper size, to produce and maintain,while in action, a plenum within the combustion chamber, constructed inthis manner, and used incombination with the exterior chamber formed bycylinder C, C, and partitionD D the whole inclosed by a top fitted tocylinder G, C, and placing the exit pipe below the top of chamber G, theescape of the volatile combustible from chamber G,

before its combustion is consummated, is prevented.

The chamber G and the exterior heating chamber, should be at least threetimes as high as the depth of the fuel box E, and may be increased inheight when the circumstance will admit.

The outlet of chamber G for ordinary purposes may be fixed to a definitesize, but

when used for large furnaces, an arrangement of valve, slide, or theirequivalent, may be adopted, and used to increase or diminish the size ofthe outlet at pleasure.

To enable chamber G to answer a more utilizing purpose, and prevent itfrom burning out, it may be built with a nonconducting substance or itmay be constructed wholly of fire brick or of soap stone, but forordinary purposes it will answer the purpose, if made of substantialcasting of iron.

The exterior cylinder C C forming the heating chamber, maybe made of anysubstantial material that is a good conductor of heat. Near the base ofthe heating chamber is placed the exit pipe P to connect with the flue,one or more may be used as required. H is the feed door, which may bemade to open through the lower part of chamber G, as shown in thedrawing, or it may be made to open directly into the fuel box E.

In the angle between the partition D, and the fuel box E, may be placeda flue or passage way, as shown in the drawing, opening externally at aconvenient point, to admit air at b b Z) Z) I) to distribute and mixwith thehighly heated gases as they accumulate in chamber G. Air may beadmitted in this manner to advantage, when the fuel box is deep, or whenusing a poor quality of fuel, that inclines to pack and prevent thenecessary supply of air from passing up through the ash pit and grate,or when supplying fuel to a furnace that is in a highly heated state toprevent puffs and explosions, but for ordinary purposes this arrangementmay be dispensed with, being of no practical use if the proportion ofparts are properly adapted to each other.

The admission of air is not claimed as any part of my invention, ithaving often been used in a similar manner.

The utility of my invention when applied to an engine of'combustion forall soft and bituminous substances must be apparent.

With the various kinds of stoves alluded to, the volatile combustible asit rises from the fuel, comes in contact with surfaces that are madecool, by the medium to be heated passing over its exterior surface,whereas, with my improved combustion chamber, as it rises from the fuelbox, comes in contact with surfaces more highly heated, and being heldin suspension, or as it were compressed,and held in the combustionchamber by the contracting form of its outlet, in combination with theexterior heating chamber, they are very thoroughly consumed. V

In constructing and applying this improvement, the exit pipe, or pipes,should be placed at the base of the heating chamber; that thereverberation of heat upon the exterior surface of the combustionchamber, may raise the temperature within to a very high degree, thusinsuring a very perfect, combustion of the volatile combustible, on itspassage from the fuel box to the upper part of the combustion chamber,reversing the ordi- V nary method of burning these descriptions of,fuel, by having the top of the combustion chamber, its most extremelyheatedpart, by which arrangement that instead of having the volatilecombustible leave the fuel box, for a less heated part of the combustionchamber, it may leave the fuel box where can be made of cast iron.

tion of steam, or for hot water furnaces, the

tained by the contracting outlet of the com- 7 bustion chamber acting incombination with the caloric retained by the exterior heating chamberpassing-the results of combustion over the exterior surface of thecombustion chamber, the whole is made to conduce to the more'perfectcombustion of the volatile combustible, and thus a reciprocating actionis kept up, heat producing heat, as combustion is-made more perfect.

A very advantageous result of my invention is, that it admits of thefuel box being made without the use of any non-conducting substance, afeature very desirable on many accounts. In stoves for heating purposesit For the generafuel may lie against a water space, as it has beenfound by practical use, that owing to the combustion chamber, above thefuel, being kept so extremely heated, and reflecting its heat by itscombination with the exterior chamber; to the solid contained fuel,there is no difficulty in keeping up a very vivid,

and good combustion within the fuel box, 7

without its being lined with nonconducting substances; causing-it (thefuel box) to radiate more heat than when used with the common form offire chamber, the practical result being that the whole surface of thestove ifs a very powerful and quick heating surace.

I prefer that my improved combustion chamber be made of cylindricalform, but it may be made to conform, and be applied to most of thecommon forms of fire pots now in use, time and practical use, only, candetermine its best mode of application.

I am aware that a tapering contracting chamber has been used for thepurpose of holding the volatile combustible in suspen sion, over an openfuel box. I am also aware that stoves have been constructed with acylinder standing within, and running parallel with the exteriorcylinder from the bottom up; between the fuel box and the exteriorcasing, to near the top of the stove, for the purpose of conveying airto the sides and top of the fuel box, and to form a descending flue todischarge at the base of the stove. A stove thus constructed cannotaccomplish the object of my invention. The outlet of the inner cylindernot being contracted so as 'to preserve a plenum within the combustionchamber, the volatile combustible readily escapesto the exteriorchamber, when, coming in contact with its exterior surface, parts withits caloric, the procto the descending flue, and not to the conasdescribed, for the purpose of preventing 10 struction of the combustionchamber. the escape of the volatile combustible from What therefore Iclaim as my invention, the combustion chamber, before its combusand1plesilile to secure by Letters Patfint, is tion is consummated.

T e c amber G, contracted at t e top, so

as to produce, and maintain, While in action; JOSEPH HENDERSON a plenumwithin the combustion chamber; W'itnesses':

When used in combination with the exterior JAMES B. SANDERS,

chamber and connected by partition D, D, A. V. DE WITT.

